Lumian returned to Asael, who was watching the dark sea from the top of the cliff.
Asael turned when he saw a figure approaching and readied himself, but relaxed the moment he heard Lumian's voice.
"It's me," Lumian said.
"Did you see anything?" Asael asked in a serious tone.
"Yes. There are eight scavengers… but they're dead," Lumian replied, showing the eight soul fragments he had collected on his way back. Seeing them lying around, he had thought it would be a waste to leave them behind.
"You killed eight scavengers?" Asael asked, surprised.
"No. They were already dead when I arrived. Something bigger killed them. An awakened monster—stronger and tougher than any scavenger," Lumian explained.
Asael blinked, absorbing the information.
"An awakened monster?"
"Yes. It's hiding under a stone ridge not far from here. Probably taking shelter from the storm," Lumian said, just as a lightning bolt illuminated the sky, bathing the landscape in a white flash.
"Are we going to kill it?" Asael asked, summoning his claymore.
"Oh, of course we are," Lumian answered, feigning enthusiasm. For any other sleeper, facing an awakened monster—one rank above a beast awakened—would be suicide. But neither Asael nor Lumian were ordinary sleepers.
In fact, they were both monsters in their own ways.
Lumian handed Asael half of the fragments he carried. Asael consumed them immediately, feeling a small surge in his strength. Lumian consumed his half as well and felt his own core strengthen, rising to 218.
Then he summoned his fourth-level sword. It would be of great help.
The plan was simple: attack by surprise, keep the initiative, and prevent the awakened monster from regaining control of the fight. Their aspects strengthened them enough to finish it in minutes, and if things went badly, Lumian could always summon his echo and flee toward the bone cemetery, even if it was several days away.
"Are you ready?" Asael asked.
Lumian nodded.
His gaze rested for a moment on Asael's enormous claymore: the bone handle crowned by a skull, a second grip that allowed the weapon's massive weight and size to be wielded, reinforcing the impact strength.
"Let's go," Lumian said.
They descended the rock and advanced under the rain, which continued to beat down furiously as lightning illuminated the night.
Lumian put his sword away for the moment and instead summoned the Blood Spear, a fourth-level awakened memory he had earned by gambling against a legacy.
The centurion had an extremely tough carapace. They would need a solid projectile to pierce it—though Lumian had an additional objective.
The spear would also serve as a natural lightning rod to brutally electrocute the monster.
Lumian watched Asael hide skillfully, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Good, Lumian thought, forcing himself into combat mode.
Channeling his lightning attribute, the spear began to emit blue sparks that danced along its surface, sending electric tingles over his skin.
Activating his aspect, Lumian jumped.
His leap was enormous: several meters in a perfect arc, landing right above the monster that had yet to detect him.
He descended at brutal speed and drove the lightning-charged spear into the monster's back. The tip pierced the black chitin, burying itself deep into its body.
Lumian immediately jumped back. A second later, the centurion let out a ripping growl as its scythe-like limbs slashed through the space where he had been.
While falling back, Lumian summoned his fourth-level sword and charged it with his lightning attribute, making its edge glow sharper.
Furious from the wound, the creature fixed its unsettling eyes on Lumian. With blind rage it lunged forward. Its speed was greater than that of the scavengers.
The sight of the monster—a beast over three meters tall, covered in black chitin etched with crimson lines—was terrifying, but Lumian remained calm and forced a smile that didn't match the situation.
When the creature was only a few meters away, a blur appeared to its left.
Asael.
A burst of speed—and his claymore sliced off one of the centurion's scythes cleanly.
The monster staggered, roaring in pain, trying to recover its balance.
Asael smiled, surrounded by lightning even more intense than Lumian's.
The creature, enraged by the loss of its limb and the blood pouring out, charged again.
Asael lunged forward and Lumian followed instantly. Both moved with superhuman speed, barely visible as flashes within the storm.
The centurion swung its remaining scythe, trying to reach either of them, but both dodged effortlessly.
Asael raised his blade and delivered a terrifying blow onto the monster's carapace, opening deep cracks.
Lumian used the opportunity to leap to the side and cut one of the monster's legs clean off at the joint.
The centurion lost its balance for a moment, instinctively driving its scythe into the ground to stabilize itself.
A fatal mistake.
Asael cut the last scythe with a lightning-wrapped strike.
A chilling screech echoed between the cliffs.
Without its natural weapons, the monster was vulnerable—but not stupid. It used its weight to crush them, threw itself with its entire body, and tried to knock them down.
Lumian and Asael, thanks to their lightning attribute, could clearly feel the electric buildup in the air. A massive bolt was being drawn toward the centurion.
Lumian smiled and stepped away. Asael did the same.
A moment later, the sky split open.
A giant lightning bolt fell directly onto the monster. Its body glowed a bright red, burning from the inside out. A nauseating smell of scorched flesh filled the air.
Lumian's spear, lodged in its back, had worked as the perfect lightning rod, channeling the entire discharge.
When the electricity dissipated, Lumian rushed forward as the monster tried to regain its senses.
He activated his augmentation skill and drove his sword toward the centurion's head.
A hollow crack sounded as the skull split.
A burst of flesh and blood spilled as a final electric discharge destroyed its brain.
The monster convulsed for a few seconds and then collapsed motionless onto the ground.
Lumian smiled faintly as he pulled his sword from the shattered head.
[You have slain an awakened monster: Shell Centurion.]
[You have received a memory: Armor of the Starlight Legion.]
[Your core becomes stronger.]
Lumian dispelled the spear, sending it back to his soul sea.
Then he turned toward Asael, who had his claymore resting on the ground.
"Tch. I wanted to finish it off," Asael said, annoyed.
"You can have the fragment if you want," Lumian replied.
"No. You killed it. It's yours," Asael said seriously.
Lumian approached the corpse and, after a few minutes, extracted the shining fragment. He crushed it in his hand, absorbing the shards to strengthen his core further.
"Did you get any memory?" Asael asked.
"Yes. An armor."
Asael frowned. His defect prevented him from using armor or any form of defense, so it was useless to him. He would have to continue wearing his woven algae skirt and endure the cold.
Lumian sighed as he looked at the centurion's corpse.
He knew the Crimson Needle Messenger would come soon. They could try to fight him, but they would die without any doubt. They were still far too weak.
Lumian wanted to become a Devil and gain a powerful echo before seeking the first lord's crown… and the memory given by the messenger's death.
As they walked away, Lumian felt it.
A gigantic presence.
He and Asael looked up at the sky just as a huge shadow descended upon the centurion's corpse.
It was a horrifying beast: pale as a corpse, muscular like a lion.
Two hind legs, six forelimbs growing from its chest—each ending in sharp claws.
A neck covered in black feathers, like its wings.
And a raven's head with a sharp beak and round eyes that radiated hunger and cruelty.
The creature devoured the centurion and then gathered several dead scavengers before flying west.
"What was that thing?" Asael asked.
Lumian shrugged.
They returned to take shelter from the rain, which would continue for hours.
For the rest of the night, they slept deeply.